Fire pit heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system of a portable heat exchanger system. The method includes inserting a heat exchanger in a thermal body such as a campfire or an insulated cooler containing ice. In another embodiments, the heat exchanger system is configured to supply thermally treated to a portable enclosure. In further embodiments, the heat exchanger system is conjoined with a heating element wherein heat is supplied for various tools.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to the field of outdoor equipment, and more particularly to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

2. Description of Related Art

Large scale heat transfer systems utilize heat exchangers, which are commonly used today. Heat exchangers are used to transfer heat between two or more fluids and are used in both cooling and heating processes. Heat exchangers are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, and power stations. In some cases, heat exchangers regulate temperatures of a body by transferring heat away from a heat generating body at a steady rate. For example, internal combustion engines commonly have a cooling system to regulate the temperature of the engine. Coolant is driven in a circuit by a pump where the coolant (relatively cooler than the engine) receives heat from the engine. The coolant is driven through a radiator (i.e., a heat exchanger) and subsequently transfers heat to the radiator. Air is driven to flow past the radiator (via fan, relative air speed of the car, or a combination of both) which transfer heat away from the radiator, thus cooling the radiator and likewise the coolant. Thus, after passing through the radiator, the coolant has released heat via the radiator and is driven back through the engine wherein the combined process regulates the temperature of the engine and prevents it from overheating.

In another example, an air conditioner system generally use a pair of heat exchangers to regulate the temperature of a room. After undergoing pressurized compression, the heated and compressed refrigerant is cooled by a first exchanger in conjunction with driven air in order to bring the refrigerant back to (or at least near) room temperature. The refrigerant is then allowed to expand past an expansion valve into a second exchanger (i.e., an evaporator coil) where the refrigerant drops in temperature and pressure. Room air is then driven through the second exchanger where the room air is cooled by the expanded refrigerant where heat is transferred from the room air to the refrigerant. The cooled room air is then circulated throughout the room to maintain a comfortable temperature, and the expanded refrigerant is compressed and passed again through the first exchanger by a compressor to complete the cycle.

While these systems are efficient in transferring heat from one location to another, these systems generally require specialized fluids, a great amount of electricity to heat via heating coils (e.g., electric heaters) or to cool via compressors, and a vast amount of equipment, which generally means that such an system is installed for a permanent infrastructure or an automobile. However, in some scenarios, these large-scale systems are impractical for outdoor situations where lightweight and mobile equipment are desired to reduce encumbrance. A lightweight heat exchanger system and method is needed to provide heating or cooling for a small outdoors enclosure such as a camping tent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system of a portable heat exchanger system, comprising: connecting a first end of a first hose to an output port of an air pump; connecting an intake port of a heat exchanger to a second end of the first hose; connecting an exhaust port of the heat exchanger to a first end of a second hose; inserting an exchange chamber of the heat exchanger in a thermal body, wherein heat transfers between the thermal body and the heat exchanger and thereby transferring heat between air within the heat exchanger and the thermal body; and activating the air pump to impel air into the heat exchanger via the first hose, subsequently ejecting air within the heat exchanger out a second end of the second hose via the second hose based on the impelled air, thereby transferring heat between the impelled air and the thermal body. In another embodiment, the heat exchanger system is configured to supply thermally treated to a portable enclosure. In further embodiments, the heat exchanger system is conjoined with a heating element wherein heat is supplied for various tools.

Ultimately the invention may take many embodiments. In these ways, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the prior art.

The more important features have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and to ensure that the present contribution to the art is appreciated. Additional features will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Many objects of the present application will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the various purposes of the present design. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the application itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a heat exchanger system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a camping environment illustrating a method of use of the heat exchanger system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 3 is a top and side view of a heat exchanger of the heat exchanger system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the heat exchanger illustrating inner components of an exchange chamber, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a camping environment illustrating a method of use of the heat exchanger system in conjunction with a heating element, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cooling environment illustrating a method of use of the heat exchanger system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

While the embodiments and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the preferred embodiment are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the embodiments described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.

The system and method in accordance with the present invention overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with traditional heat exchanger systems. In particular, the system of the present invention is a heat exchanger system that is capable of being set up and broken down in a quick and simple manner by a user. Additionally, the heat exchanger system is light weight, portable, and uses lightweight power storage (i.e., batteries) which offer significant advantages over typical heat exchanger systems that are bulky, permanent, and require greater electrical power supply (e.g., 120 VAC, 240 VAC, 480 VAC, etc.) The combination of the listed features above makes the heat exchanger system disclosed herein an ideal system for camping or in an otherwise outdoor setting. The system is composed of a battery powered fan, a set of thermal resistant hoses, and a heat exchanger, all in conjunction with a thermal body that provides or absorbs heat.

The system and method will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the system may be presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless otherwise described.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements in form and function throughout the several views. FIG. 1 illustrates components of heat exchanger system 100. FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 illustrate various environments that demonstrate methods of use of heat exchanger system 100. FIG. 3 illustrates a top and a side view of heat exchanger 300. FIG. 4 depicts cutaway view 400 of heat exchanger 300 illustrating inner components of exchange chamber 105.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of heat exchanger system 100 is depicted. In this embodiment, heat exchanger system 100 comprises of air pump 102, intake hose 107 a, intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, exhaust conduit 103 b, and exhaust hose 107 b.

Air pump 102 is a device that impels air of an environment into heat exchanger system 100 for heating or cooling. Air pump 102 is any known device of the art that impels air into a pipe or hose. Air pump 102 impels air into heat exchanger system 100 such that the environment air is driven in a circuit path running in order of air pump 102, to hose 107 a, to intake conduit 103 a, to exchange chamber 105, to exhaust conduit 103 b, to exhaust hose 107 b, and finally returning to the air to the environment (flow arrows are depicted in FIG. 1 to indicate air circuit flow). In an alternate embodiment, instead of impelling air into the heat exchanger system 100, air pump 102 sucks air out of heat exchanger system 100. In one embodiment, air pump 102 is a portable electric fan driven by a portable power supply. For example, the portable power supply is set of commercially available dry cell batteries (e.g., AAA, AA, A, B, C, D, 9-volt, etc.). In other embodiments, the portable power supply is a rechargeable battery that is chargeable via solar cell, hand crank, or by any other means known in the art in charging portable power systems for outdoor equipment.

Intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b are thermal resistant hoses of similar form as a flexible conduit for transporting air between a first position and second position. The only difference between intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b are in nomenclature and placement wherein the naming convention is based solely on the placement of the hoses at a respective position along the air circuit path. In other words, intake hose 107 a is a conduit for transporting air from air pump 102 to intake conduit 103 a, and likewise exhaust hose 107 b is a conduit for transporting air from exhaust conduit 103 b to the environment (or in alternate embodiments, to heating element 119 as depicted in FIG. 5).

In some embodiments, intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b is a thermal resistant rubber tubing. In other embodiments, intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b is a metal flex hose. In further embodiments, the metal flex hose is thermal resistant.

Each respective end of intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b form a hermetic seal with a respective component along the air circuit, wherein the hermetic seal is formed by any method known in the art of pipe and hose fittings. For example, intake hose 107 a forms a hermetic seal with air pump 102 by a male-to-female connection wherein a male port (i.e., port 104) of air pump 102 fits concentrically within with a female port of intake hose 107 a. In this example, intake hose 107 a is a thermal resistant rubber tubing that permits the female port to stretch around the male connection of air pump 102 to form a hermetic seal. In a further embodiment, a hose clamp may be employed to reinforce the seal between the hose and the component. In another example, intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b have female pipe thread fittings on each respective end, and respective components to intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b have male pipe thread fittings to form a hermetic seal when conjoined with the female pipe thread fittings of intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b respectively. Likewise, intake hose 107 a forms a hermetic seal with intake port 112 of intake conduit 103 a, and exhaust hose 107 b forms a hermetic seal with exhaust port 114 of exhaust conduit 103 b. In further embodiments that include heating element 119, exhaust hose 107 b forms a hermetic seal with port 118 of heating element 119.

Intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, and exhaust conduit 103 b are components of heat exchanger 300 (further depicted and described in FIG. 3). Intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, and exhaust conduit 103 b are each metal piping conjoined via welding at each respective ends to form a single integrated conduit for transporting air through an intake port (i.e., intake port 112) of intake conduit 103 a, through exchange chamber 105, through exhaust conduit 103 b, and out an exhaust port (i.e., exhaust port 114) of exhaust conduit 103 b. Intake conduit 103 a and exhaust conduit 103 b are of similar form as reversing air flow through heat exchanger 300 (i.e., swapping respective port connections with intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b) will not change the functionality of heat exchanger system 100. The only difference between intake conduit 103 a and exhaust conduit 103 b are in nomenclature and placement wherein the naming convention is based solely on the placement of the conduits at a respective position along the air circuit path.

Exchange chamber 105 is a heat exchanger where a majority of heat is transferred from a thermal body to the circulating air of heat exchanger system 100. Various forms of heat exchanger designs and configurations known in the art are contemplated to transfer heat to and from a thermal body and the circulating air. As used herein, a thermal body is any source of heat or cold relative to the ambient temperature of the environment air. For example, a thermal body can be a campfire, burning coals, or embers smoldering in a fire pit. Alternatively, a thermal body can be water or carbon dioxide (dry) ice in an insulated cooler. The components of heat exchanger 300 are further depicted and described in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a method of use of heat exchanger 100 in camping environment 200 is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, heat exchanger system 100 is employed at a campground setting having a firepit and a tent of a user. Thermal body 103 is a thermal body (e.g., combusting firewood, coal, or smoldering embers) that is capable of transferring heat to exchange chamber 105 of heat exchanger 300. Tent 101 is a temporary or portable enclosure (i.e., tent) of the user.

A user, uncomfortable with the cold ambient temperature of the environment air, wishes to provide heated air to tent 101 while keeping tent 101 a safe distance away from thermal body 103. In one embodiment, the user constructs heat exchanger system 100 in the following fashion: positioning air pump 102 within the enclosure of tent 101; connecting a first end of intake hose 107 a to port 104 of air pump 102 to form a hermetic seal; positioning intake hose 107 a through a first tent port, wherein the first tent port is either a dedicated port hole on tent 101 for passing through intake hose 107 a through the tent barrier of tent 101, or a general entrance of tent 101; connecting a first end of intake conduit 103 a (i.e., intake port 112) to a second end of intake hose 107 a to form a hermetic seal; connecting a first end of exhaust conduit 103 b (i.e., exhaust port 114) to a first end of exhaust hose 107 b to form a hermetic seal; positioning exhaust hose 107 b through a second tent port, wherein the second port is either a dedicated port hole on tent 101 for passing through exhaust hose 107 b through the tent barrier of tent 101, or the general entrance of tent 101; positioning a second end of exhaust hose 107 b in a location within the enclosure of tent 101; inserting exchange chamber 105 of heat exchanger 300 in or adjacent to thermal body 103 such that heat transfers between heat exchanger 300 and thermal body 103, subsequently heating air primarily through exchange chamber 105 and secondarily through intake conduit 103 a and exhaust conduit 103 b; and activating air pump 102 to impel air through heat exchanger system 100, thus driving environment air within tent 101 into heat exchanger 300 via intake hose 107 a, and driving heated air within heat exchanger 300 into tent 101 via exhaust 107 b.

In alternate embodiments, a user may position air pump 102 externally from tent 101 such that intake air from air pump 102 and exhaust air ejected from exhaust hose 107 b are not permitted to mix. However, by keeping air pump 102 in the same enclosure (tent 101) as the ejected air from exhaust hose 107 b, such as described by the previous embodiment, the ejected/heated air within tent 101 is recycled through the heat exchanger system 100 via air pump 102, thus creating a heating cycle of tent air and therefore efficiently raising the internal temperature of the enclosure of tent 101.

In one embodiment, intake hose 107 a and exhaust hose 107 b have lengths that permit tent 101 to be positioned a safe distance away from thermal body 103.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a top and side view of heat exchanger 300 of heat exchanger system 100 is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, heat exchanger 300 comprises intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, exhaust conduit 103 b, cross brace 107, stand 109, and hinges 109. Intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, and exhaust conduit 103 b (here forth designated as “the integrated members”) as are each metal piping conjoined via welding at each respective ends to form a single integrated conduit for transporting air through an intake port (i.e., intake port 112) of intake conduit 103 a, through exchange chamber 105, through exhaust conduit 103 b, and out an exhaust port (i.e., exhaust port 114) of exhaust conduit 103 b. Inner components of exchange chamber 105 are further depicted and described in FIG. 4.

Cross brace 107 is a metal member that adds structural support between intake conduit 103 a and exhaust conduit 103 b. Stand 109 is a metal member configured to pivot with respect to hinges 111, wherein hinges 111 are hinges that permit stand 109 to rotate at least, but not limited to, a 90 degree range of motion with respect to the integrated members of intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, and exhaust conduit 103 b.

Hinges 111 are set of hinges, wherein each hinge is correspondingly welded to intake conduit 103 a and exhaust conduit 103 b. While in an engaged position, stand 109, in conjunction with hinges 111, form a structural stand for the integrated members such that the integrated members form an angle with respect to ground 113 and exchange chamber 105 and stand 109 are in contact with ground 113. While in a storage position, stand 109, in conjunction with hinges 11, collapses against the integrated members for compact storage and transportation.

Referring now to FIG. 4, cross section view 400 of heat exchanger 300 illustrates inner components of exchange chamber 105, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, air is impelled into intake port 112 of intake conduit 103 a, flows through exchange chamber 105 thereby transferring heat to or from a thermal body, flows through exhaust conduit 103 b, and exits exhaust port 114 of exhaust conduit 103 b. In this embodiment, exchange chamber 105 transfers heat to or from a thermal body by a configuration of inner components that forms additional surface area for heat transfer with passing air and creates turbulent air flow to mix heated air as the air passes through exchange chamber 105. In this embodiment, inner components of exchange chamber 105 comprise of a plurality of annulus disks (i.e., washers) and a plurality of studs arranged in an alternating fashion such that passing air must alternatingly pass through an aperture of an annulus and around a stud. For example, in referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of annulus disks is depicted as washers 115, and a plurality of studs is depicted as studs 117. Alternative configurations of the inner components known in the art of heat exchangers for exchange chamber 105 are contemplated.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a method of use of heat exchanger system 100 in conjunction with heating element 119 in camping environment 500 is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, similar to the setup of heat exchanger system 100 within environment 200 (with inclusion of tent 101 being optional), heating element 119 is hermetically attached to the second end of exhaust hose 107 b. Heating element 119 generally includes exhaust port 121 to allow heated air to pass through heating element 119 and escape into the environment via exhaust port 121. As used herein, heating element 119 is a device that utilizes convective heating provided by thermal body 103 via heat exchanger 300 for a function dependent on the type of device. In one embodiment, heating element 119 is a cooking instrument that are configured to receive convective heating (e.g., pots, bowls, coffee makers, teapots, etc.). In another embodiment, heating element 119 is a sleeping instrument (e.g., sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and tent liners), configured to allow heated air to pass through the device and transfer heat to the respective device. In one embodiment, heating element 119 is an air diffuser that distributes heated air through a plurality of exhaust ports spaced apart a predetermined distance in order to distribute heat across a space instead of a single exhaust port provided at the second end of exhaust hose 107 b.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a method of use of heat exchanger system 100 in cooling environment 600 is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, heat exchanger system 100 is configurable to provide cold air for an enclosure or for direct application on a user. In this embodiment, thermal body 123 is an insulated cooler containing ice or carbon dioxide (dry) ice that absorbs heat from heat exchanger 300, resulting in cold air being ejected from exhaust hose 107 b. In one embodiment, tent 101 encloses air pump 102 and the second end of exhaust hose 107 b thus allowing ejected air from exhaust hose 107 b to be recycled by air pump 102 for further cooling and subsequently cool the temperature of the enclosure of tent 101. In an alternate embodiment, the enclosure of tent 101 is removed. In this embodiment, a user directs the second end of exhaust hose 107 b to a desired position, thus allowing for direct application of cold air to a localized region. For example, can position the second end of hose 107 b towards the face of the user too cool off the user.

In one embodiment, thermal body 123 is an insulated cooler that has intake conduit 103 a, exchange chamber 105, and exhaust conduit 103 b integrated as part of the cooler. For example, intake conduit 103 and exhaust conduit 103 b pass through insulating barriers of the insulated cooler such that hermitic connections may be formed externally to the insulating cooler while portions of intake conduit 103 and exhaust conduit 103 in conjunction with exchange chamber 105 are in contact with ice or dry ice within the cooler (such as depicted in FIG. 6).

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the application may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. It is apparent that an application with significant advantages has been described and illustrated. Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, it is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. 

1. A method of constructing a portable heat exchanger system, comprising: connecting a first end of a first hose to an output port of an air pump; connecting an intake port of a heat exchanger to a second end of the first hose; connecting an exhaust port of the heat exchanger to a first end of a second hose; inserting an exchange chamber of the heat exchanger in a thermal body, wherein heat transfers between the thermal body and the heat exchanger and thereby transferring heat between air within the heat exchanger and the thermal body; and activating the air pump to impel air into the heat exchanger via the first hose, subsequently ejecting air within the heat exchanger out a second end of the second hose via the second hose based on the impelled air, thereby transferring heat between the impelled air and the thermal body.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: positioning an air pump within a portable enclosure; positioning the first hose through a first port hole of the portable enclosure; positioning the second hose through a second port hole of the portable enclosure; and positioning the second end of the second hose within the portable enclosure.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air pump is driven by a portable power supply.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: mixing air of the portable enclosure with the ejected air from the heat exchanger; impelling the mixed air of the portable enclosure into the heat exchanger for recycling.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal body is a heat source.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal body is a cold source.
 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising: connecting the second end of the second hose to an intake port of a heating element.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the heating element is a cooking instrument.
 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising: directing the second end of the second hose towards a user, wherein the second end of the second hose ejects air onto the user to cool the user.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the heating element is a sleeping instrument.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein the heat source is fueled by a campfire.
 12. The method of claim 5, wherein the heat source is fueled by burning coals.
 13. The method of claim 5, wherein the heat source is fueled by smoldering embers.
 14. The method of claim 6, wherein the cold source is fueled by water-based ice.
 15. The method of claim 6, wherein the cold source is fueled by carbon dioxide-based ice.
 16. The method of claim 3, wherein the portable power supply is a set of dry cell batteries.
 17. The method of claim 3, wherein the portable power supply is a rechargeable battery.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hose and the second hose comprise of a thermal resistant rubber.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hose and the second hose comprise of a metal flex hose.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective connections of the first hose and the second hose form a hermetic seal using hose clamps. 